Cultivation of Oat
Local Name : Jawa
Family : Gramineae
Botanical Name : Avena sativa
Origin : Asia minor
Oat is mainly grown as a fodder crop but occasionally grown as grain crop.
1. Climate : It is a cool season crop.
2. Soil : It grows best on well drained, fertile loamy soils.
3. Varieties : Np-1, NP-2, Brunker-10, Weston-11.
Cultural Methods in Oat Cultivation:
1. Land is ploughed 5 to 6 times with deshi plough.
2. Sowing is done by drilling method at 25 to 30 cm distances between two rows.
3. The seed rate is 75 to 80 kg/ha.
4. Some of sowing is October – November.
5. Usually one to two hoeing are given as intercultural operations.
6. When grown under irrigation, then 40 kg N and 20 kg P2O5/ha. is given.
7. Usually it is grown as rainfed crop but if irrigation is available, two irrigations are given at one month interval from sowing.
Harvesting in Oat Cultivation:
1. The oat crop mature within 120 days after sowing.
2. For fodder purpose two cuttings are taken at 40 days interval.
3. Then oat is left for seed setting.
4. Harvesting for grain is done is early April before plant is dead ripe to avoid shedding of grain.
Yield in Oat Cultivation:
1. When grown only for grain purpose 16 to 20 qt grain and 25 to 30 qt straw/ha.
2. When grown as fodder the yield is about 200-300 qt fodder and 4 to 5 qts of grain/ha.